Two unsung NFL stars could have biggest Super Bowl LVII impact

11 February 2023 , 20:43

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Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts will battle it out for the Super Bowl (Image: Getty Images)

The Super Bowl is finally upon us, and Patrick Mahomes will face-off against Jalen Hurts for the ultimate prize in football.

The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Arizona, and with so many star players on either side it's got all the makings of a classic. Statistics show that there is very little to celebrate the Chiefs and the Eagles, with both teams sharing an almost identical record.

Both teams are 16-3, and have scored exactly 546 points in the build-up to the Super Bowl this season. It may be Mahomes v Hurts at State Farm Stadium, but former NFL star Jason Bell thinks it could come down to two players who aren't always in the spotlight.

The quarterback position is of course the most influential role in the team, but Bell thinks that besides Mahomes, Hurts, and star tight ends such as Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert, there could be an unlikely hero in the roster of both the Chiefs and Eagles. "If the Chiefs win this game, Mahomes will need to do what he does best, but I do think Isiah Pacheco will be very important," 888Sport ambassador Bell exclusively told Mirror Sport.

"If he’s rolling that means the Chiefs’ offence is clicking, so I expect him to have a big game. They’ve got to slow down that Eagles defence and Pacheco will be key to that."

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Isiah Pacheco is thriving at the Chiefs

The rookie running-back was picked up in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft, and was the 251st pick, but has become an unlikely hero at the Chiefs. Following injuries to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon, Pacheco has found himself being the starting running-back in recent weeks.

But he's blossomed in his role, and may even keep his place for the Super Bowl with Edwards-Helaire being activated in the nick of time. There could be another hero on the Eagles side though at cornerback, as Bell has tipped Avonte Maddox to play a key role.

"On the other side of the ball, I like Avonte Maddox to do big things in the slot," Bell added. "We know Kansas City like to attack the middle of the field and so Maddox is going to get a lot of work.

"If he has a good game on Sunday, I expect the Eagles to have one as well. Jalen Hurts needs to be on it as well. He hasn’t been great in the last three games since the shoulder injury and he needs to be the Jalen Hurts we saw earlier in the season if he wants to lead his side to the Super Bowl."

Joseph McBride